Well. I did it. I jumped in with both of my two left feet and my eyes closed. I became a full time nomad – senior citizen class.
I sold or gave away everything I owned except for an Osprey pack and camera gear. My old and much-loved Jeep Wrangler now lives with my youngest son. I rent a locker filled with the memories only a mother could treasure – and a few pairs of shoes and boots that I could not bear to let go. And I said good-bye to my home in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Over the past 5 months I have spent time in a cabin on a lake in Central Finland. Just me and the mosquitos. (And I thought Canadian mosquitos had attitude!) The midnight sun messed with my jet lag, but the wood fired sauna relaxed every bone and muscle in my body. Read about in my post Midnight Sun and Mosquitos.
I travelled to Stockholm, Tallin and toured Hamburg and Northeastern Germany (where I am pretty sure my jeans shrunk a size).
I rented an apartment in the Alfama district of Lisbon, where Tram 28 rattled by under my bedroom window. (And my jeans shrunk a little more.)
My next stop was Istanbul for a few days before heading to Central Asia. I explored countries I was not previously aware of, much less able to spell. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan was like stepping into a time warp, back to the Soviet Union Era. Uzbekistan was a journey into ancient cities and yurts nestled between sand dunes.
I fell in love with Seoul during a 48-hour layover.
And now I am in Hoi An, Vietnam, where I have rented an apartment for a month. During monsoon season.
My next destination? Helsinki, Finland for 2 months. Winter months. Happily, Canada Post has already delivered my package containing 6 lbs. of winter basics. I suspect these jeans will have also shrunk during the 6 weeks of slow boat delivery.
Do I regret taking the leap? Not yet. Ask me again in another 6 months (after Antarctica!)
Happy (and safe!) Travels to you all.